Abstract: This study addresses the question: How does the migration industry facilitate the migrants’ decision to move out of the Philippines to Japan? It focuses on the peculiar irregular position played by the “illegitimate” migration industry in the Philippines-Japan migration stream. Migration scholars describe the migration industry as the complex network of agents or brokers (including non-state recruiting actors or international employment agencies) who facilitate migration from the migrants’ country of origin to their destination countries. Some analysts describe these agencies as forming a migration business that stands for commercial gain. “Migrants,” in this study, refer to low/unskilled or semi-skilled temporary or contract migrant workers or those considered “non-permanent residents,” as opposed to immigrants who aim for permanent settlement. This study also validates previous studies on the migration industry, which is not only composed of legitimate actors in servicing international migration but also a range of formal, semi-formal, and informal support systems, including the illicit migration industry. The study highlights the experiences of trafficked victims and their coping strategies in addressing their precarious status.